The Sudanese government vowed on Tuesday to protect its sovereignty, reiterating that indictment of President Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court (ICC) will jeopardize the entire peace in Africa's largest country.
Addressing a news conference in Nairobi, Sudanese Presidential Advisor Bona Malwal also maintained that Khartoum will not surrender any Sudanese citizen to a court outside Sudan, stressing that doing so "surrendering Sudan's sovereignty to foreigners."
"We are firm on this. President Bashir is the custodian of CPA (Comprehensive peace Agreement) we signed here in Nairobi. He is the custodian of peace accords in East and in Darfur and therefore we see indictment as an assault on the Sudanese," Malwal told journalists in Nairobi.
"We are sending a message to the entire world that Sudan is ready to guard its interests," he said.
Malwal, also a former transport minister, said the Sudanese are ready to defend themselves, their land, and won't give in to any type of political blackmail.
He noted that the problem in Darfur is that foreign interference played a big role in it, adding that those who fled the troubled areas were in government and military areas and protection.
"What is happening at the ICC is pure naked politics because Sudan has not been a friend to some of the foreign countries as far as its natural resources are concerned. Our position is that we regard ICC indictment as a direct assault on our sovereignty," Malwal told journalists.
On July 14, ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo formally requested an arrest warrant against al-Bashir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.
